


Bucky Barnes versus Underwear

by MusingsOnBuckyBarnes



Series: The 'Bucky Barnes Versus' verse [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Angst and Humor, Artist Steve Rogers, Bucky Barnes Recovering, Humor, M/M, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Post-Serum Steve Rogers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-25
Updated: 2016-03-25
Packaged: 2018-05-28 22:07:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6347455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MusingsOnBuckyBarnes/pseuds/MusingsOnBuckyBarnes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Musings about underwear.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bucky Barnes versus Underwear

**Author's Note:**

> This is the sequel to “Bucky Barnes versus the Smithsonian” but it can be read as a standalone.  
> The fics are set after the events of The Winter Soldier.
> 
> I asked my beta what I should warn about in this fic. She said there is a lot of nudity but that it’s not particularly graphic; she described it as light and mostly non-sexual nakedness. Then there is a sex scene at the end, but it is also not gone into in detail.

xXx

 

Avengers Tower

Rogers and Barnes residence

Afternoon:

 

Clint, Natasha and Sam had come by their floor for a prearranged coffee and a chat. Natasha had phoned Steve about fifteen minutes before the agreed arrival time, to ensure that Bucky was having a good day and that the get-together was still on. (“It’s fine. Bucky’s looking forward to it.”)

 

There were a lot more good days than bad ones now. Bucky was doing very well with his therapy, and he and Steve were going to start travelling soon: their long-awaited and well-deserved vacation. The Arches, Canyonlands and Grand Canyon would be their destinations, which they were busy planning. After that, they would decide whether to go back to their D.C. apartment, or the Tower, or overseas for another trip.

 

As Clint sat down, he asked, “Where’s Barnes?”

 

“In the shower,” Steve replied, going around his guests with a selection of cookies. When he put the plate down on the coffee table, he realized that he’d forgotten to clean it up. The surface was cluttered with a lot of his art supplies and current sketchbook, as well as brochures and notes about their trip. He really wasn’t used to entertaining like this.

 

Natasha and Sam both noticed the art stuff. And more importantly, that they were being used. Steve saw them exchange smiles, before they gave him looks like they were his proud parents.

 

Sam pointed at the top sketches: Bucky’s face in profile, a lazing cat, and the Chrysler Building. “They look great, Steve.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

He supposed that they were happy to see signs of ‘old’ Steve. And that he did have hobbies. Now that he wasn’t juggling work and the desperate search for Bucky, he could return to things like this. Bucky also liked to see him sketch; to look up from his book and watch the artist at work. Bucky had encouraged him to reclaim his artistic desires.

 

Hopefully Steve was also being as encouraging to Bucky about his own hobbies and wants. He was so proud of how well Bucky was doing.

 

As Bucky had said when they reunited at the Smithsonian: “What’s really keeping me together is that somehow, despite all we’ve gone through, it’s 70 years later and _we’re both still here_. That’s got to mean something. We’ll _make_ it mean something.”

 

They were. They also knew how much they meant to each other and were exploring that gradually, kissing and holding in private, while the main focus was on Bucky’s recovery. But admitting how they felt and getting used to the intimacy was also an important part of his recovery. Their recovery. Now they were sharing a bed most of the time but not sexually. Not yet. The trip would be another step in their relationship.

 

After Steve had given everyone their drinks of choice, he heard Bucky coming up the hallway towards the living room. From where Natasha was sitting, she had an unhindered view of that corridor, which was probably a deliberate choice. For a moment, her face suddenly had a ‘oh _hello_!’ look. Then she went back to chatting smoothly with Sam.

 

Steve turned to see what the problem was. And there was Bucky, walking into the room completely naked and completely unselfconscious about being naked. The only pieces of material on his person were a towel he was drying his hair with, and something in his left hand that looked like underwear.

 

In one way, Steve wasn’t all that surprised. And it wasn’t like he’d never seen Bucky naked before.

 

But it was also heartbreaking when he considered what this meant regarding Bucky and his sense of self. It wasn’t him feeling so comfortable with them that he made a choice to walk out like this, and the Bucky Steve had known back in the day probably wouldn’t have done this, even as a joke. And he hadn’t forgotten that they were having company. No. He’d had so little control over himself for so long that privacy was a strange concept to him. He would not stop to think that this would be considered odd.

 

In his jumble of emotions, Steve also felt embarrassed for Bucky. _At this point, he doesn’t know any better. It’s a sign of the trauma._

 

Thank God for their friends.

 

Sam blinked, then rolled with the situation. He’d encountered a lot of things in his line of work and from being around the Avengers. So he kept his eyes up but was cool with it. He certainly wouldn’t want to make Bucky feel uncomfortable. Clint also blinked, then smiled, then said hello.

 

Bucky fortunately completely missed noticing he had made a breach of social etiquette, replied to their hellos, and said, “Underwear sure is different. So clingy… And so many different options these days. Boxers, briefs, half-way in between...”

 

Steve couldn’t help but admire Bucky’s naked form, especially now that Bucky was more healthy, plus eating and sleeping better. He pulled himself out of such thoughts and focused on being a good host.

 

Bucky finished drying his hair and tossed the towel onto the back of an unoccupied chair. He then proceeded to stand in front of Steve, while somehow considerately not blocking the TV, and put on the underwear he had been carrying – a pair of dark green briefs. He frowned and pulled at the waistband, snapped the elastic a few times, then adjusted the contents a bit.

 

“They feel so….” Bucky looked at Steve.

 

“Snug?” Steve supplied, hoping he sounded normal.

 

“That’s it!”

 

Steve found himself wondering what Hydra had given Bucky to wear as underwear as the Winter Soldier. He sure as hell wasn’t going to ask.

 

“Boxers let you breathe more, but you get a bit more control in briefs,” Sam said.

 

Clint’s contribution was: “Shopping for boxers is a lot more fun than briefs. You can get great boxers, but men’s briefs are always plain, unless they’re for kids.”  He sounded offended.

 

“Perhaps because boxers have more material to play with,” Natasha said. “Maybe we’ll have to get Tony to manufacture a line of trendy briefs. Pepper and I can design them.” She grinned. “I’m sure Maria and Jane and the others would have good contributions to make too.”

 

“I’ve seen boxers with cartoon characters on them.” From Bucky’s tone, Steve could tell he was bemused. Bucky sat down near Steve on the sofa. His metal arm gleamed in the light, and so did some water droplets on his torso that he’d missed with the towel.

 

Natasha stretched. “Boxers seem a lot more comfortable – and I don’t even have those parts.”

 

Bucky said, “I’ve seen pictures of the underwear that women wear today. No suspenders. Not much material – it’s a wonder they don’t just disappear you-know-where when they move!”

 

“Mine wouldn’t dare,” Natasha pointed out with a feral grin.

 

Bucky smiled and nodded at that, before going for a chocolate cookie (he had been reclaiming his sweet tooth) and the cold drink that Steve had put on the table for him (he hadn’t reclaimed his taste for coffee yet).

 

“What sort of underwear did you have in the forties?” Clint asked, perfectly coherent around a mouthful of his own cookie.

 

Bucky answered, “We had a kind of boxers, but out in the field they chafed so much that we often went without them.”

 

Clint grinned. “I heard that the phrase ‘going commando’ comes from World War 2 because commandos on long operations in the elements often stopped wearing underwear due to chafing. Is that true?”

 

Before Steve or Bucky could reply, Sam pointed at a framed photo of the Howling Commandos that was nearby and raised an eyebrow. “Did you all have no underpants on in that picture?”

 

“That’s for us to know and you to not,” Bucky said with sass in his voice, which made Sam laugh.

 

Steve was delighted. “I think Bucky actually _started_ the trend.”

 

Though he hadn’t minded Bucky stripping off his underwear back then. It had given him a chance to admire that rear end (while doing his best not to be obvious about it).

 

Bucky shrugged. “After being on missions for ages, that chafing got so bad… Having no underwear on was still uncomfortable, but a lesser degree of uncomfortable.”

 

“Going commando is also known as ‘free-balling’,” Clint said with a wicked look.

 

Natasha rolled her eyes. “Oh boys, you’re making me blush. Too bad you didn’t have underwear that was infused with Aloe vera back then.”

 

Steve and Bucky stared at her.

 

“There’s at least one underwear manufacturer with a line of women’s panties that has that,” she explained.

 

Steve and Bucky turned and gave each other _Is she making this up and playing a practical joke on us?_ faces. They wouldn’t put it past her, but the future did also have some seriously weird stuff in it. Seeing that they were as confused as each other, they consulted with Sam and Clint, who proved to be no help at all.

 

Sam shrugged. “Hey, don’t look at me. That’s the first I’ve heard of it too.”

 

Steve reached over to the coffee table, retrieved his iPad from under some maps and sketches, and proceeded to search Google. And he did his best not to be very aware of the fact that a mostly naked Bucky immediately crammed against his right-hand side to read the screen. Something that would have been very nice, if they didn’t have an audience.

 

_I should have just asked JARVIS instead…_

 

But there was distraction to be had. Within a few minutes, Steve said, “Wow, that really IS a thing. _Infused with Aloe vera. Helps the skin feel soft and moisturized._ ”

 

“Okay,” Bucky said with a small grin. “All the Avengers had better start wearing those under their uniforms. And can you imagine Dum Dum in one of those little numbers?”

 

“I’m trying very hard not to.”

 

Sam said, “I saw a display once which had a World War 2 Australian soldier’s underwear in it. I’m not sure why! But they did look like boxer shorts with buttons at the waist. I remember the museum label saying that American underwear was very similar but that while we had 100% cotton, the Aussies had a mix of cotton and wool.”

 

Steve said, “Oh yeah, Australia had – and still has – a very big wool industry.”

 

Clint grinned. “They’re very attached to their sheep. Hang on, that might be New Zea-”

 

Natasha elbowed him.

 

Sam said, “Hey, have Steve and Bucky been introduced to the miracle that is the mankini yet?”

 

Cue another consultation of the iPad. Cue the jaws of two super soldiers dropping to the floor (while Clint filmed their reactions on his phone).

 

“WTF?” Bucky asked.

 

“IDK. I _really_ DK. LOL, I guess?” Steve replied. They were getting pretty handy with using modern jargon.

 

The others were cracking up with laughter, probably over the faces they had made. Well, better that than at Bucky’s naked antics.

 

“Mankinis look completely ridiculous and impractical without actually being completely uncomfortable,” Clint said.

 

Steve and Bucky looked at him, then each other. Steve knew exactly what Bucky was thinking, because he was thinking it too.

 

_Yep, out of all the Avengers, Barton would be the one who has worn a mankini._

 

Though Stark could probably convince Thor to wear one, by saying it was a big fashion trend over here. Heck, he or Bucky could probably make a mankini look sexy. Or even jockey shorts...

 

Sam piped up, “Hey, JARVIS, give us a random fact about underwear.”

 

“Certainly, sir. According to the blog of a woman who is writing a trilogy of novels about Richard III: _One of the best sources for determining what kind of underwear medieval folks wore is drawings of heretics burning at the stake_.”

 

“Hmmm.  I definitely did not know that. Thank you, JARVIS.”

 

“You are welcome, sir.”

 

They were soon musing over the male G-string.

 

Clint commented, “Having something that rides up your butt and doesn’t show nearly as much panty-line when you’re wearing skin-tight clothing – that’s a good idea for superheroes! Though it does take a lot of training to ignore the ‘riding up the butt’. That’s where I earn my superhero money.”

 

Natasha laughed. “Now I know why Stark chooses to wear armor.”

 

JARVIS’s next fact was that in the first version of the movie Tron the male actors were wearing G-strings under their leotards because that was the only kind of underwear that didn’t show.

 

Steve thought about his own leotard days and the very good (though very embarrassing at the time) underwear advice that he had been given by the ladies of the USO chorus. He also thought about Phil Coulson proudly presenting him with the updated version of his costume (which seemed even tighter around the rear)…

 

His guests seemed determined to keep chatting about underwear. Bucky plucked a comb out from under some of the travel documents and started to use it. That was one of the things he had reclaimed from his past – his enjoyment of grooming his hair. “Metrosexual before my time,” he had joked last week. Now he was following the conversation and occasionally contributing, with interest and amusement.

 

“You never have a visible panty line, Steve,” Natasha remarked.

 

“Neither do you,” he countered.

 

“Want to share tips with the rest of us?” Sam asked. “It’s definitely a superhero-sized problem.”

 

At one point, Bucky got up. He stepped away from the couch and in a few graceful movements stripped off the briefs (somehow managing not to lose his balance), and headed for the hallway. “Steve, I’m gonna try on some of your underwear, okay?”

 

“Sure…” Steve managed, not sure what he thought of their living room being turned into a strip show. And that his friends and colleagues were apparently going to be treated to a viewing of the contents of his own underwear drawer. Just as well Stark wasn’t here. Though he bet that some sneaky photos would be taken to _show_ to Stark.

 

Natasha smiled. “You’ve got boxers with the American flag on them, haven’t you? Or little versions of your shield.”

 

Steve tried to give her a stern look. But that was difficult as he was rather distracted by his best friend.

 

They discussed the upcoming trip in-between Bucky’s underwear odyssey, sprinkled with more random facts from JARVIS (because Sam and Clint kept asking for them).

 

Steve said, “Yeah, we’ll do a lot of our hiking and camping in the Arches and Canyonlands. For some of it we’ll stay in a tent. Motels for the rest of it – oh, hey, Buck, you look great in those.”

 

“I’ll try the purple ones on next.”

 

Clint: “Any frilly little numbers in there?”

 

Eventually, their guests got ready to leave. While Sam, Bucky and Clint chatted about something in the apartment doorway, Natasha paused for a moment with Steve in the living room. She didn’t say anything like ‘Thanks for the free strip show’. Because although she probably _did_ enjoy the unexpected sight, she also knew all the whys behind it and how Steve must be feeling. She smiled and said, “He’s doing so well, Steve.”

 

“I know.”

 

So of course, it was only after they went that Bucky finally got dressed…

 

He soon joined Steve in the kitchen and asked, “What did I do?”

 

“Huh?”

 

“When the others were here. What did I do wrong?”

 

“Nothing.”

 

“Steve, don’t try to protect me; I’ve gotta learn. There was something. Was it the trying on of your underwear?”

 

“No.” Steve took a deep breath. “It’s just that people don’t usually walk out naked when guests are present. It can surprise people or offend or make them uncomfortable. However, our friends are the ones _least_ likely to be any of those things. So don’t worry about it. You didn’t know. And I want you to feel comfortable.”

 

“Oh.” Bucky considered that for several seconds. He didn’t look embarrassed or upset. His lips curved into a smile. “My name is Buck. ‘Buck naked’ is a well-known expression – it’s been around forever! So they shouldn’t be surprised.”

 

Steve laughed. They started to do the dishes by hand. The idea of having a dishwashing machine was something that bemused both of them. Besides, doing the dishes was relaxing and domestic. A nice reminder of simpler times.  


Bucky said, “I remember you sketching me while I was in my underwear. Back before the War. More than once. Or the times you needed a naked male model because the art classes didn’t have fully naked ones.”

 

“Yeah. I’m not sure what happened to those. I haven’t seen them in the boxes that were given back to me in the last few years.”

 

“Some are at the Smithsonian, sirs,” JARVIS said.

 

Steve paused. “They’re at the Smithsonian?”

 

“Not out on display, but in some of the books, and there are also posters and prints, but they are so popular that the gift shop keeps selling out of them and having to re-order more in. There is a sizable waiting list. And some are considered too ‘sensual’ for release.”

 

Bucky laughed. “Show us which ones!”

 

On a blank part of the kitchen wall, JARVIS projected images of Steve’s sketches. Looking at them, Steve remembered how much he had enjoyed drawing Bucky’s … ahem … muscle definition.

 

JARVIS said, “Some of the more revealing artwork was sold at auction back in the 1990s, to a private bidder. It was a very fierce auction for the collection.”

 

“Due to the artist or due to the subject matter?” Steve asked, only half-kidding.

 

JARVIS replied, “Both.”

 

Bucky looked extremely curious. “How much did it sell for?”

 

JARVIS told them. Steve dropped a dish. Bucky grabbed it before it could smash but only out of sheer reflex, since he was just as shocked.

 

Bucky whistled. “And here I was, thinking that modern people had no taste and no sense of art appreciation! Steve, you should be getting some money from all of this; it’s only fair.”

 

Steve was really, really glad that they didn’t have any visitors witnessing this. Tony would never shut up.

 

“Do you want to try to get the originals back?” Bucky asked.

 

“I have the original. You were, and are, very inspirational. My muse.” Steve blushed as he said it.

 

Bucky gave him an _You’re an idiot but you’re MY idiot_ look, put down the dishcloth and tugged him in for a kiss. By the time they stopped kissing, the water in the sink was lukewarm.

 

“Besides,” Steve said, while trying to remember how to breathe normally, “I can always do new sketches.”

 

“True. Will you be booking our accommodation tomorrow?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“I haven’t changed my mind about the bed situation.”

 

The trip would be marking a change in their relationship. They shared a bed most of the time now, for the closeness and to hold when they wanted to, though Bucky still had his own bedroom for when he wanted privacy. Bucky was determined that on this trip, all they would need would be the one bed. Steve thought that if he did need some space, Steve could sleep on the floor with pillows or on the sofa.   

 

They were finally finishing doing the dishes when JARVIS patched through a call from Tony. “Hey, I asked JARVIS what you were up to, and was informed that you had all been discussing my underwear choices. Is that true? And if so, why do I always miss the great conversations?”

 

xXx

 

On their first day at the Arches, they marveled at the sights.

 

“This is wonderful. But the view I’m going to get tonight in our room will be just as breathtaking,” Bucky remarked in a sexy whisper in Steve’s ear. Steve went as red as the rocks.

 

They got back to the motel, ate a lovely meal in its restaurant, and collected a package for Bucky at the front desk, which he seemed to be expecting. Bucky opened it while Steve was having a shower.

 

When Steve came out of the bathroom, Bucky said, “Natasha sent me over some underwear.”

 

Steve looked around, but the package and its contents were nowhere to be seen. “Can I have a look?”

 

“You’ll get to see them soon enough. Let’s have an early night.”

 

Steve was in bed by the time Bucky got out of the shower and stood in the bedroom doorway. Buck was wearing boxers that had one word repeated on them, over most of the material. That word was ‘ _No_ ’.

 

Steve immediately felt uncomfortable and uncertain. Why would Natasha choose that of all things to give to Bucky? And did that mean that he really wasn’t ready to become more intimate? A little voice of reason in Steve’s head was going _Wait, don’t panic. Have a better look first because there’s something you’re missing_ but then Bucky smiled and flipped all the lights off.

 

And suddenly there was a glow in the darkness from the region of Bucky’s boxers. One word, in luminous capitals, which was in the spot that had been supposedly blank. It blazed itself into Steve’s mind.

 

_YES_

 

A relieved gasp and a bark of laughter both tried to get out of Steve’s mouth at the same time and probably made him sound like a demented seal.

 

Their eyes adjusted to the darkness and Bucky got into bed. Steve reached for him and they rolled into a full body embrace, kissing, stroking and rubbing.

 

Bucky’s hands were roaming and discovered that the only thing Steve was wearing to bed was a pair of briefs.

 

“How are your briefs feeling now?”

 

“Very VERY snug...”

 

“Well, we can’t have that, can we? I’d better take them off you.”

 

“Yes please!”  


There was some chafing but it was of a very stimulating and rewarding kind. Soon, Steve felt like their bodies were glowing in the dark, and ‘YES’ was the word of choice, repeated at a number of different volumes, as well as slowly, quickly and everywhere in between.

 

Each evening, they worked their way through every pair of underwear Natasha had sent. Not that any stayed on Bucky for very long though.

 

xXx

 

The End

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks very much to Faye again for beta reading, and also for advice (on characters and underwear).
> 
> Yes, Aloe vera underwear is a real thing, as I discovered when my mother gave me several pairs… And I saw the No/YES boxers in a catalogue years ago. 
> 
> I highly recommend doing an underwear fic, in whatever fandom you enjoy. I’ve had so much fun writing this, with friends (and a seemingly psychic stranger) offering information, and each time I thought that the fic was nearly done, they’d say something more and I’d think: “I have to incorporate this!” 
> 
> So: Faye, Lena, Kristina, Cathy and psychic stranger, thank you all for your contributions! Even the ones that I couldn’t fit into the fic still expanded my knowledge.
> 
> There is a ‘behind the scenes/making of’ about the writing of this fic, at my Tumblr, complete with a photo of the WW2 undies that the psychic stranger showed to me and the circumstances thereof. (I just re-read that sentence and I hasten to add that the guy was not wearing the WW2 underwear at the time.)  
> Link to the page on my Tumblr:  
> http://musings-on-bucky-barnes.tumblr.com/post/141633168988/of-writing-an-underwear-fic-in-the-captain-america


End file.
